The Long Job: Pilot
by Morwen Tindomerel
Summary: The crew of Serenity accepts a charter that will take them right across the 'Verse. It proves an eventful voyage. Set after 'Objects In Space' and before the movie.
1. Work At Last

"That's never a firefly!"

"It surely is!" Kaylee sang out from her sling high up on 'Serenity's' hull. She gave the rivet one last twist before looking down - and nearly fell off the board. The figure

squinting up at her from dockside was outlandish even by Border Moon standards; long ropes of gray-white hair falling over a gaudy, poncho-like upper garment, the full leather skirt showing beneath fancy with beads and fringes. Kaylee recovered herself; "You know about ships?"

"Just enough to appreciate a classic." the woman admitted. "Don't see many fireflys plying the Black these days."

"Only 'cause they're not taken proper care of." Kaylee said, busying herself with the ropes that would lower her to the ground. "My girl's sound through and through and she's got a heart that won't quit."

"That I do believe." said the woman. She was a shade shorter than Kaylee with a face too young to go with that gray hair. "Looking for work?"

"Always. You got a cargo?"

"I do. Includes livestock." Kaylee hesitated, remembering Sir Warrick's cows. "Saddle horses," the woman said, "I'd care for them myself."

"That should suit." Kaylee said, relieved. "Captain's not aboard right now. You can come in an wait or come back later, whichever suits you."

"I'll come back." the woman decided, "got a few things to arrange before I go." she held out her hand: "Margot."

"I'm Kaylee."

"A name? All you got was a name?" Mal said for the ninth or tenth time.

"I thought we wasn't taking on any more livestock." Jayne complained.

"She's gonna care for them herself." Kaylee told him. "I wouldn't want you near any horse of mine either!"

The three of them stood argufying in front of 'Serenity's' yawning hatch.

"In case it escaped your notice we've got two wanted fugitives aboard." Mal pointed out.

Kaylee rolled her eyes. "Everything's shiny, Cap'n. She ain't no center dweller that's for sure. Could even be wanted her ownself. Makes Patience look positively respectable."

"We need us a job." Jayne mused. "As long as I don't have to do any mucking out..."

"I don't suppose she talked money either." Mal said to Kaylee.

"That's your job, Captain." she answered coldly and flounced inside.

"Wonderful, just what I need, a tetched off mechanic." Mal muttered to himself.

"Got no one to blame but yer ownself - 'Captain'." Jayne said right back. "A body'd think you don't want work."

"A body'd be wrong." Mal answered, ending the subject.

The afternoon wore on. Jayne went off, looking to get sexed. Zoe and Wash got back from wherever they'd been, laughing and clinging to one another. Mal ignored the comings and goings, sitting on a crate in the cargo bay trying to make the accounts come out any way but red.

Shepard Book wandered in from the passenger dorm. "Still no sign?"

"Nary a one. Either she's changed her mind or she was funning Kaylee all along."

"I wouldn't fun such a sweet young thing. Nor turn down a chance to ride in a firefly, Captain -?"

Both men turned - and goggled. Kaylee hadn't exaggerated a bit but she'd left out a few details; like the horse tails dangling from a beaded belt around the hips and the red coup marks painted on a smooth face that didn't quite go with the gray hair.

It took Mal a full second to remember his name. "Reynolds, Malcolm Reynolds. This here is Shepard Book."

The woman nodded politely but her attention stayed on Mal. "My name's Reyer, Margot Reyer. I need to ship some freight, including five saddle horses, to Athens. Kaylee said to talk terms to you."

Athens? "I, uh." Mal forced himself to get over his startlement and concentrate on business. "That's quite a voyage. We'd have to charge you fuel costs as well as shipping and board."

The woman didn't so much as blink. "Would ten thousand cover it?"

Would it ever! Mal stood there seriously conflicted. Here was the best money they'd been offered in a good long time - but the Tams...

"Captain." he looked at Shepard. "I can vouch for the lady."

He could?

Margot flashed Book a smile with more than a little mischief in it. "I appreciate your good word, Derrial." then turned sober. "No need for you to worry, Captain, I'm not the kind of honest citizen who looks to make trouble for those who already have more than enough."

"Nor all that honest either." said Book dryly. And she laughed out loud.

"That too."

"Fine. It's a deal then. Get you cargo on board." Mal turned to go, hesitated: "You told Kaylee you'd take responsibility for tending your beasts?"

"Absolutely." Margot answered firmly. "They're mine."

"Good...fine..." he headed up the steps to warn Simon, and have a word with Zoe too.

Jayne came back in the midst of the loading and tried to make a quick escape to his bunk but Mal hooked him in, not liking hired porters in his boat.

"So, what have you been doing on Comanchero - or shouldn't I ask?" Mal ventured to his new employer as the two of them quieted the horses.

"I've been riding with the Free Folk." she answered.

Mal goggled again. That surely did explain the coup marks on her face but - "Thought they didn't like outsiders."

"No more do they, and for good reason." she agreed.

"Then how -?"

"Got myself captured in a raid." she said matter-of-factly. "Just about the only way to get entrance into a Folk band."

Okay...but - "From what I hear tell they have quick and unpleasant ways with captives."

"Sometimes." she agreed serenely. "It depends. Like just about everything else with the Folk." she shot him a glinting sideways glance. "I got their respect by showing them I was as mean and ornery as any man in the Band."

Mean and ornery? for all her wild looks she seemed a might small and delicate for either. But then there were those coup marks... "You set out to join with them?"

"Oh yes. I'm an anthropologist, Captain, a student of mankind in all his manifold forms."

Was there no end to this woman's gift for startlement? "You don't look like no scientist I've ever seen."

"And how many field anthropologists have you seen, Captain?" she smiled.

"Explains why you're going to Athens." he conceded.

"I'm a Fellow at the Athenaeum." she continued.

He shook his head. "Can't say I'd care to be one of your students. Not if you're mean enough for the Folk."

She laughed. "Lucky then I don't do much teaching. I'm a research Fellow."

"Sounds respectable."

"Oh it is. But I'm not especially."

Jayne grunted as he shoved an especially large crate into place. "What you got in these gorram things anyhow?"

"That one holds my tent and fixings." Margot answered. "The others got my various spoils in them." she smiled. "I did pretty good as a raider."

"Mmmm." said Mal, not quite believing it. Still, there were those coup marks... "Close 'er up, Jayne." then to Margot, "This way." they went though the lower hatch into passenger country. "This here is the common room, bunks are down that passage."

The Tams were there, sitting on the sofa, giving the newcomer the wary eye the girl blessedly quiet for once. Mal introduced them; "Simon, our medic, and his sister River."

Simon stood up and stuck out a hand. "How do you do." he said, all stiff and Center-formal.

"Very well thank you, and you?" Margot answered her accent sliding from Outer-drawl to a clipped one Mal wasn't familiar with.

Simon blinked. "Uh, fine." he glanced aside at his sister. "Um, I just wanted to warn you, River's a little - uh -"

"Crazed." said Mal.

Simon glared at him. Margot looked at River. "That so?"

Limpid brown eyes gazed up into hers. "'Crazy' is vernacular for mentally ill.'"

"So it is." Margot said tranquilly. "And are you mentally ill, River?"

The girl nodded. "I see what isn't there and hear voices in the silence."

"I saw a little man upon the stair," said Margot. "a little man that wasn't there. He wasn't there again today. How I wish that little man would go away!"

River stared a moment, then giggled. The two men just stared, Mal wondering if maybe he had two moonbrained passengers on his hands.

"Seeing what other folks don't isn't necessarily craziness." Margot told them, shifting back to Outer-speak.

The Captain cleared his throat. "Be that as it may. You'll be sharing passenger country with Simon and River here and the Shepard." he pointed. "Kitchen's up that way, open twenty-fours and we have sit down meals three times a cycle. Guess that's all you need to know?"

"Guess so." she agreed cheerfully and turned back to the girl. "So, River, which bunk should I take?"

"They are substantially identical, there is no logical basis for preference." said in that flat way of hers - when she wasn't being manic or hysterical.

"What about an illogical basis?"

River giggled again. "Eeny, meeny, miny mo -"

"Catch a tiger by his toe -" continued Margot as the two moved towards the passage.

"If he hollers let him go - "

"My mother told me to pick the very best one - "

"- and you are not - IT!"

The silly choosing rhyme ended in a fusillade of giggles from old woman and girl alike.

Mal looked at Simon, Simon looked at Mal.

"'Nother crazy like to make ours worse?" the Captain wanted to know.

The doctor smiled faintly. "I don't think so."

"Good."

Mal climbed back up to crew country in two minds or more about his new passenger.


	2. A Tea Party With Coffee

The comm. unit pinged.

Inara brushed aside the tapestry screening the cockpit from her 'work area' and leaned over the pilot's seat to answer it. "Yes?"

Wash's cheerful voice issued from the speaker. "Hey, 'Nara. Any more pressing engagements? we're ready to leave here."

Her perfectly groomed eyebrows rose. "Don't tell me we've got a cargo at last?"

"And a passenger."

Which provoked a frown. "Is that wise? River and Simon..."

"Seems to be okay, apparently the lady's an old friend of the Shepard's. An Athens scholar, though from what Mal says she sure don't look the part."

"Not just a job but a legal one! Be still my heart."

"Now, now, don't be nasty." Wash chided. "Are you ready to come home?"

"I was just screening another set of applicants." it had been a long layover. "Not a very promising lot."

"Nobody to light your fires huh?"

"Not a one." She slid into the pilot chair and started the warm up cycle. "I'll be back aboard within the hour."

"Shiny. See you then, Ambassador."

Once home Inara headed straight for the kitchen. This layover'd been so long she'd actually run short of green tea. If she'd taken another client she'd have had to send back to Serenity for more - they didn't have green on Comanchero, just some rot-gut black.

For all Wash's words about a new passenger it was still startling to see a stranger in the kitchen. Inara stopped in the hatch to study her.

The woman was neither tall nor slender but skillfully gave the impression of being both thanks to the long lines of her tabard and trouser suit and the wide orangy-gold sash around her middle. The tabard was patterned in a bold, brilliantly colored geometric pattern, the trousers trimmed with fringe. A thick, artistically tousled mane of silver streaked gray hair was confined by a wide striped band knotted at the back with a decorative spiral in front and two big golden disks on either side with chunky gold earings showing beneath. Wide rings decorated slender arms and drew attention to the deft, beautiful hands. Her makeup was subtle but highlighted her large eyes and small mouth.

She was making tea, green tea, on the dining table and the delicate precise grace of her movements no less the elegant if unconventional taste of her garb and expert highlighting of her best points and concealment of the worst all fairly screamed 'Companion' to Inara's experienced eye. But Wash had said she was a scholar...

The woman was, of course, perfectly aware of Inara's presence but finished the ritual of laying out before acknowledging her with a smile. "Would you care to join me?"

"Please." Inara returned the smile and took the seat opposite watching as the stranger expertly whisked the tea into a froth and then offered the cup two handed. Inara accepted it in the same manner, with a slight bow, and took a tiny, ceremonial sip.

The woman prepared her own cup, drank from it and said. "I see you're Devidasi. I'm Geiko."

That much had been obvious from her tea style. "You're a Companion?"

"Registered but not in practice."

"Wash said you were a scholar."

A smile. "That too. Dr. Margot Reyer of the Athenaeum's School of Anthropology and Ethnology. My Companion name is Shinjumi."

Of course! That explained everything. "I read your book in the training house. It was wonderful, it really caught the spirit of what it means to be a Companion."

Margot smiled. "Thank you." she gave a slight, histrionic shudder. "I remember how I trembled when I presented it to the Guild Mothers!"

Inara laughed. "Worse than final examinations?"

Margot considered. "In its way, yes."

"Remind me never to write a book. Once before the Mothers was quite enough!"

"Oh I do agree!"

The women shared a warm, sisterly smile of complete understanding.

Course was set and Comanchero rapidly shrinking behind them when Mal led Zoe and Wash into the dining area, and a gorram tea party.

"You think dulcimer's bad try samisen!" the elegant gray haired lady was saying. "I never did master it. Finally Mama Sensei gave up and trained me in flute instead."

Inara laughed. "Solving your voice problem too."

"Exactly. Can't sing while playing a flute, and I've got the hot air to do real well on wind instruments!" More laughter from both.

Zoe wriggled past her captain's frozen butt to extend a hand to the newcomer. "Dr. Reyer? I'm Zoe Washburn, Serenity's first officer."

"Call me Margot please," her glance slid over to Wash.

"Our pilot, my husband Hobban Washburn."

"Known to all as Wash." he said, frankly staring. "You don't look so wild and woolly to me whatever the Cap'n may say."

Margot's smiled deepened. "I've cleaned up a bit."

Mal picked his chin up off the floor and cleared his throat. "Mor'n a bit. Now I might believe you're a lady and a scholar."

"Thank you." her head tilted, kind of fetchingly. "I think."

"Tea?" Inara asked slyly.

"Not if it's that poisonous green stuff you drink." Mal headed for the kitchen and the coffee maker.

Zoe and Wash took their usual seats at table. "So, you girls getting along alright?" Wash asked brightly.

Like it wasn't obvious they were - and why did that annoy Mal so much?

"We've been trading horror stories from our training days." said Inara.

"Training days?" Zoe echoed.

"As Companions." Inara explained.

"Each of us is trying to convince the other her school is the harder." Margot finished.

Zoe turned to her, confused. "I thought you were some kind of professor?"

"I am." Margot answered. "But I did my doctoral thesis on the Companions."

"You wrote a paper on whoring?" Mal sputtered, collecting a glare from Inara and a 'I give up' look from Zoe.

"As you can see our Captain is a master of tact and diplomacy." she said dryly.

"Yeah, Mal. Don't go making us look bad in front of the company." Wash chimed in.

Margot turned in her seat to give him a once-over, her eyes a sort of cloudy green, then glanced over her shoulder at Inara. "One of those, eh?"

"And how!"

"One of what?" he demanded defensively.

"One of those who doesn't know the difference between a Companion and a Whore." Margot returned calmly.

"He should read your book." Inara said to her, adding; "You do read don't you Captain Reynolds?"

Mal picked up the coffee pot in one hand, hooked three mugs with the other and brought them to the table. "Not that kind of book I don't." he smirked. "I'm an officer and a gentleman."

"I assure you my book contains nothing to offend the most delicate sensibilities." Margot assured him, unruffled. "It's on the Cortex; 'A Cult of Beauty' by 'Shinjumi'. Look it up, Captain, if nothing else it may serve to give you a good night's sleep."

Wash was scribbling on the back of his hand with a pencil stub. "Is that a 'g' or a 'j' in 'Shinjumi'?"

"J."

"Does it have illustrations?" he asked hopefully.

Margot laughed.

"Didn't you hear what the lady said about inoffensive?" Zoe demanded. Wash's face fell.

"I'm afraid 'Cult's' more about the training and philosophy of Companionship than its sensual practices." Margot apologized.

"I've got enough 'sensual practices' to keep my husband too busy to read." Zoe told her. Wash brightened up.

Mal pushed a couple of full cups over to the Washburns trying to think of a way to get off this subject. Kaylee and Jayne's coming in from the aft passage and Shepard and the rest climbing up from below did the job for him.

All except Book and River stopped in their tracks to stare stunned at their transformed passenger. Shepard went to the kitchen for more cups, River sat herself down at the end of the table and looked at her hands.

"Margot is that you?" Kaylee demanded wonderingly.

"Gorramit, woman, what you done to yourself?" Jayne demanded.

Mal smirked. And they called him tactless!

Didn't seem to bother Margot a bit. She gave Kaylee a smile Jayne and a wink. "Clean up good, do I?"

"Not bad." Jayne pulled out the chair next her. "Right fanciable if a bit long in the tooth."

"Jayne!" Kaylee cried, scandalized. The rest of the women looked just as indignant, standing by one of their own the way females do.

Simon winced. So did Wash. Mal just smirked some more.

"What?" Jayne demanded. "Think she don't know she's old?"

This time Mal winced too. Even out here a smart man didn't call a lady 'old' to her face.

But Margot didn't turn a gray hair. "Age and experience have their advantages." she shrugged. "I couldn't have coped with the Free Folk in my shiny youth."

Inara changed the subject back to the one Mal'd been anxious to get off of. "Speaking of age you were pretty old for Companion training weren't you? Yet you passed the exams."

"Barely in some subjects." Margot said wryly. "I was well grounded though. I'd had ballet as a girl so I knew how to move. And my Sister training in deportment and manners and meditation was a big help too."

"Sister?" Mal echoed disbelieving. "You were a nun."

"Not exactly. I did my master's thesis on the religious life."

"Guess that's when you met Shepard Book." Kaylee chirped.

Book and Margot exchanged a look Mal couldn't quite read. "Not that far back." said the Shepard.

Mal's mind ran on other things. "You went from nun to whore?"

"All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players." Margot quoted. "I've played a lot of parts in my time, Captain."

"I can attest to that." said Book.

"You too." she smiled. He didn't smile back.

"So first you pretend to be a nun and then a whore." Mal said, still disbelieving.

"Not 'pretend', Captain." suddenly Margot was dead serious. "Pretending' to be a Free Folk raider would have been fatal. I was one. And a Nun and a Companion too, in their times."

"She's a mirror." River said suddenly to her hands, then looked up at all of them through her hair. "She reflects what's around her."

Margot nodded. "A very pretty way of putting it. Thank you River." then continued to Mal. "A good anthropologist doesn't study cultures from the outside but the inside. I pride myself on being a very good anthropologist."

Note: Companions are divided into several 'schools' rooted in various 'Earth that was' cultures. Inara's 'Devidasi' draw on Hindu religious and sensual practices, Geiko on the traditions of the Japanese Geisha. The tea and incense ceremonies are common to all but the styles are distinctive enough for an informed observer such as Inara to deduce which school a Guild Sister belongs to on sight.


	3. Ambush

"So that's what became of you."

Shepard Book didn't start, his senses had warned him the bunk wasn't empty before he walked in. He turned up the lights and there was Margot curled up easy on his bed.

"For five years we couldn't stick our noses outside atmo without you showing up," she continued, "then - suddenly you're gone." she shrugged. "I thought maybe you'd been killed. Django said we couldn't be that lucky."

Shepard cracked a smile as he perched himself on the little shelf of the wash-station. "He would. Where is he by the way?"

"Home, seeing to business." she answered. "We're still partners if that's what you're asking but he's not much use on my anthro expeditions."

"I wasn't asking. I assume your little 'family' is still intact." that wasn't a question either.

"Healthy and happy and making mischief." she answered, and smiled. "Mother got to you did she?"

Book grimaced. "She started me thinking."

"She excels at that - gorram her." Margot laughed. "She'll make a Christian of Django yet."

"He doesn't have as far to go as he thinks." Shepard said seriously.

"No he doesn't." she agreed. Her head tilted. "So - tell me about the Tams."

"Just the Tams?" he asked.

"The others are pretty self explanatory. But what brings two younglings of the Center elite onto this boat?"

"Seems the Alliance has got a special school for children like our River. Very special. The curriculum includes operating on their brains - God knows why."

"More like the devil." Margot said grimly. "I've heard rumors of such a thing. Her brother got her out?"

"With help from an 'underground movement' you can probably find out who."

"I will." Margot promised. "Sounds like something I should mix into."

Book cracked a smile. "Gratis?"

"Maybe. We'll see." she answered. "I'm guessing that's what crazed our poor little River?"

Shepard nodded. "Her brother's been working on her for months now. There's been some improvement, but not much."

"Maybe he's going at the problem the wrong way.." Margot mused, then snapped back to the here and now. "I take it you'd rather I didn't give out the details of our previous acquaintance?"

"No." Book said baldly.

She gathered herself up to leave and gave him a smile. "You know I don't tell other folk's secrets."

He smiled back. "Do I not!"

She came over and kissed him lightly on the mouth. "Peace be with you."

"And with your spirit." he responded.

"Sir, have a look at this."

Mal roused from his doze and climbed out of the pilot's seat to look over Zoe's shoulder into the scope. Serenity showed bright and clear in the middle riding the line drawn between Comanchero and their first fueling stop on Muir. Little cloudy shapes shimmered here and there, cosmic dust and debris and the like, then suddenly something flared briefly silhouetted against such a cloud and paralleling Serenity.

Mal's face hardened. "Looks like we got company, company that don't want to be seen."

"Could be an echo." Zoe offered but by her voice she believed it no more than he.

Mal didn't even bother to answer. He reached for the 'phone. "Wash? Get up here. Now."

Wash was in the dining area, sitting at the table opposite Kaylee, both watching Shepard and Margot play Go, when the call came. The tension in Mal's voice got him to his feet and heading for the bridge double time.

A look of alarm flashed briefly over Kaylee's face as well. Mumbling some kind of excuse she hurried back to her engines.

Book and Margot's eyes met briefly in a silent exchange before returning to the board. "Your move." said the Shepard.

Mal's order was brief and to the point. "See that? Lose him."

"Could be an echo." Wash offered. Zoe and Mal just looked. "Right. I'll lose him."

Mal spoke into the 'phone'. "This is the Captain. You folks might want to grab a hold of something as we're planning on doing some maneuvering here." then followed his own advice, bracing himself between the two pilots' seats.

Wash nudged the controls sending Serenity spiraling starboard to the nadir. A couple of dinosaurs fell off his consol as the deck heeled.

In the dining room the go stones stayed snug in their sockets and Margot kept the board from sliding off as she moved.

In the engine room Kaylee braced herself against the console, watching her dials.

On the passenger dorm sofa an apprehensive Simon tightened his hold on his sister. River patted the hand on her shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile.

Lying on the bed in her shuttle Inara winced as her tea table tumbled across the room spilling cups and pot. Tea stained rugs and cushions but nothing broke.

Sitting on the steps in the cargo hold, hanging on to the railings, Jayne relieved his feelings with a string of colorful English, Chinese and Tagalog oaths.

On the scope the elusive ship-sign solidified and tracked Serenity's descent. "Yup. They're after us all right." said Zoe.

"How I do hate being right." said Mal.

"I need to get us some distance here." said Wash, intent.

Mal spoke into the 'phone': "Kaylee? we need some extra power up here, sweet thing."

Engine noise amped up. "That's my girl!"

The deck heeled again as Wash threw Serenity into sharp port climb to zenith. Metal groaned in protest.

"Uh, sir. Our company has company."

Mal craned his neck to see over Zoe's head. Yup. Two more blips had appeared, all converging on Serenity. "Looks like we got a problem. Armed?"

"Too far yet to see." Zoe answered.

"Keep 'em that way." Mal told Wash.

"Doing my best." he answered. Another jolt as he shifted Serenity into a level forward drive.

"Coming in from three sides and closing." Zoe reported.

Stomachs tried to climb up esophaguses as the boat dropped and Mal was too busy hanging on to answer.

Kaylee clutched at her board, wide eyed and biting her lip.

Simon wrapped both arms around River in a tight hug.

Inara's hands dug into the coverlet and down matress beneath as pillows slid from under her head.

Jayne hung on, wishing to god he hadn't eaten that gorram stew...

In the dining room the Shepard hauled his chair back to the table and made his move.

Margot studied it. "This boat armed?" she asked casually.

"We're a freighter." Book reminded her.

She smiled.

"No."

"Pity" she considered the board and picked up a stone.

"Sir? Three more at five o'clock and closing." Zoe reported.

"Uh, hate to say it, Cap'n but I'm running out of openings here." said Wash.

"There's gotta be a way...gotta be a way..." Mal muttered to himself eyes darting around the space outside the canopy looking for it. He unloosed a hand to point. "That what I think that is?"

"Ice and rock," Zoe reported. "If you think it's a comet you're right."

Mal swung himself over to a side board, careful to keep a hold of something as Wash was still maneuvering, and started hitting switches as he talked. "Wash, when I give the word make a straight burn into the nuke of that comet and cut everything - I mean everything!"

"Whatever you say but they'll know where we've gone." the pilot answered.

"No they won't." Mal answered, still working. "Zoe, get on the phone, tell Kaylee to be ready to cut off everything but minimal life support. And the others to keep quiet as little mice when all goes dark."

"Yessir."

"Now, Wash!"

Serenity drove straight and hot into the knot of rocks and ice balls that were the comet head and something drove out the other side.

"Clever sir." Zoe said, hushed and admiring in the dim lit bridge.

"Lost us a shuttle." Wash observed.

"Just so I haven't lost my boat." said Mal.

Inara sat up cautiously. When the deck showed no signs of moving she swung her legs off the big bed and went to pick up her tea things.

Jayne wiped his mouth and pulled himself up the stair towards his bunk.

Simon released his sister. She looked at him, eyes shining in the bluish emergency lighting, a finger to her lips. "Shhhhhh..." He nodded.

Kaylee sat down cross-legged on the engine room floor, listening to the silence.

"Running silent." Margot murmured appreciatively. "Clever."

"Mal's quite the strategist when he troubles to think." Book answered, looked at the board. "Damn - there's another game you won!"

"Language, Father," Margot grinned, "remember you're a man of God."

Note: Margot is using 'father' as a religious title, remember she spent one and a half years as a 'sister'. The kiss with its ritual blessing and response is the 'Pax', part of the Catholic Mass on 'Earth that is', Margot is using it here as acknowledgment and acceptance of Book's new status.

Sorry if anybody got the wrong idea, if you did it's my fault, not yours. :-(


	4. Capture

" - so we just drift along with this drift until they lose interest and go seeking some easier prey." Mal concluded. "Which means none of you is to do anything using power until further notice. In fact it would be best if you all took a little nap, like Jayne here."

Jayne, who'd had to be rooted out of his bunk to join the others in the dining room, gave his captain an unfocused glare still looking a bit green about the gills. "Beating on the skinny ass of that sonofabitch pilot won't use no power." he muttered.

"I leave that for you and Zoe to settle between you." Mal said pointedly, turned on his heel and headed back to the bridge.

Jayne muttered some more and followed, going back to his bunk.

"Guess I can do a little cleaning while everything's shut down." Kaylee said and took the aft passage back to her beloved engines.

"Take a nap." said River, putting her head down on the table and closing her eyes.

Margot looked at Book. "Django would backtrack and scan any drift across the trail for mass."

"Not everybody has your partner's persistence, nor his gadgetry." Shepard answered.

The corners of her mouth went down. "Six ships working together means this is no picayune operation." she pointed out unhappily.

Book shot a glance at Simon and Inara's nervous faces "You got any better ideas, Margot?"

She shook her head ruefully. "None at all. But you know me, Derrial, I'm a worrier."

"So you are." Shepard turned to the others. "Odds say Mal's plan will work."

Inara grimaced. "Given past experience I'd say the odds are it won't."

"Sleep." said River suddenly, head still down. "Need it later." They all looked at her.

"Jayne seems a mite unhappy with you, Wash." Mal said, replacing Zoe in the co-pilot's chair.

"My heart's broken." he grunted, making a tiny correction to keep them in the thick of the comet nucleus.

Chunks of rock and ice bounced and scraped over the canopy and could be heard pinging off the plates. Zoe double checked the boards for power leakages. Mal kept his eye fixed on the scope. The bright spots were clustered at the far edge. "Minute they're off scope we make a run for it." he told Wash. The pilot grunted acknowledgement.

But instead of fading into the distance as Mal had hoped the ships started coming back and behind them came a much brighter signal, the huge silhouette of some kind of mother-ship. "(Luck is not with us)."

"Make a run for it, sir?" Zoe asked urgently.

"Mal, Serenity hasn't got all that much speed." Wash reminded him.

"We lie doggo," Mal decided after a long pause for thought. "It's still our best chance."

All three watched tensely as the cluster of ships came closer, the little ones forming a v-formation in front of the big.

"Back tracking the shuttle." said Wash, stating the obvious.

Mal grunted and deliberately unclenched his hands.

"Sir, if they have mass detectors -" Zoe began.

"And they will on a ship that size." he cut in grimly. "Looks like we're up against some true professionals here."

"They're getting closer." Wash warned.

Mal's eyes narrowed. "Power up." Zoe obediently started hitting buttons, after a brief, startled look Wash followed suit. The captain got back on the 'phone. "Kaylee I want you to pour on everything we've got. The rest of you, brace yourselves, it's liable to be a bumpy ride."

The lights came up and the engines roared to life, much louder than usual. "Wash, when they get within five hundred klicks drive right at the big ship as if you're gonna ram, pull up as late as you dare and keep pouring it on."

"Yessir!"

In his bunk Jayne swore some more and burrowed his face into his pillow.

In the dining area River sat bolt upright, eyes wide and staring.

"Hang on, (little sister)." Simon told her, getting a good grip on the table himself.

"Sounds like there's been a change of plan." Inara muttered fatalistically.

Margot looked at Book. "Sometimes I hate being right."

"And I surely do hate it when you are." he answered.

Table and chairs slid a few centimeters aft as the boat accelerated, engines howling.

As Mal had expect the smaller boats broke formation at a thousand klicks to circle their drift leaving the mother-ship unshielded. When it got within five hundred Wash pushed the stick all the way forward, aiming straight at the big ship's bridge ports

As it grew in front of them, eclipsing the stars, Zoe said; "Sir, isn't that -"

"An Independent Battlewagon." he finished. "Sure looks like."

"Big guns." said Wash.

"We're inside their range." Mal clutched the console, white knuckled. "Ain't it 'bout time you pulled up?"

"Not yet," the pilot said coolly, "just a few more seconds..."

They were close enough to see people behind the ports. "Wash!"

"Now!" he pulled back on the stick just enough to send Serenity skimming over the back of the battlewagon shooting by the big guns and into the Black beyond.

The jolt knocked Jayne right off his bunk. "Gonna kill me that (shitty asshole) pilot." he muttered, climbing back in.

In the dining room it toppled the empty chairs and made the table buck. "What do you suppose they're doing?" Simon asked, hanging on.

"I don't think I want to know." said Inara.

The boat vibrated under the stresses of her unaccustomed speed. 'Phone pinged. It was Kaylee, of course: "Captain, she's getting real hot."

"Nurse her, girl, nurse her as only you can!" he answered, eyes on the scope. As he'd hoped he'd left some confusion behind him. Took the lil' boats more'n a few critical seconds to recover themselves and start pursuit. No doubt the big ship was still checking for damages while her captain and bridge crew changed their pants. "Wash, steer her for the rubble," the Oort cloud on the fringes of the yellow sun's system, "and find us a big rock to hug onto."

"Way ahead of you Cap'n." he answered sounding cheerful. Looked like they were gonna get out of this yet.

Then two boats appeared out the cloud ahead, close enough to eyeball, and space exploded on either side of Serenity.

"Looks like they were too big for us, Sir." said Zoe.

Mal nodded. "Looks like." he forced the words out, hating every one. "Wave 'em, tell 'em we surrender."

Mal gathered everybody in the Cargo hold, as per instructions, while they waited for the mother-ship to catch up and swallow them. "Just keep your mouths shut and let me do any talking that's to be done." for once there were no smart comebacks. Seemed everybody understood the seriousness of the situation.

He glanced at the horses, still twitchy after the rough ride but calming rapidly under their owner's ministrations. "Margot, I'm afraid you're like to lose your cargo."

She looked briefly at him and nodded. Seemed calm enough, so why was Shepard Book eyeing her that way?

Mal turned next to Simon. "Keep your crazy sister quiet, I mean quiet. No telling how these folk might react to her jabber.

The doctor boy was deathly pale. Girl looked the better of the two, she gave him a brave smile. Suddenly Mal felt bad talking about her like she wasn't right there listening to him.

"It's important we don't rile these folks in any way we can avoid, River." he said to her, almost apologetically.

"I understand, sir." she said gravely, sounding sane as you please. Maybe this was going to be one of her good days. If so it was shaping up to be the only good thing about it.

"Inara..." he didn't know how to go on. She was the one he was scaredest for. He was trying real hard not to imagine the uses pirates might make of a beautiful desirable woman like Inara.

She smiled too, brave and determined. "I do know something about how to handle men, Captain."

Right. Right, she was a whore wasn't she? No need for him to be worrying about her honor...but the knot in his belly didn't untie.

Mal continued. "Could be these pirates are former Independents which may give Zoe and me some leverage. It's just possible we'll be able to negotiate a way out of this mess, providing nobody does anything stupid. Understood?"

Crew and passengers alike nodded, the lot of them looking unaccustomedly sober, even Jayne didn't seem in a mood to argue for all he was glaring lasers at Wash.

The deck quivered under their feet as Serenity set down inside the big ship's hanger. Mal took a deep breath and walked over to the controls, fisting the opening button, then turned towards the bright yellow light beginning to leak around the edges of the slowly lowering door ramp.

Note: ( ) indicates Chinese phrases.


	5. The Diehards

The lowering ramp gradually revealed a busy, brightly lit hangar deck and a foursome of brown uniforms, armed but not aiming, standing there waiting.

"Malcolm Reynolds?" said one.

Mal blinked at the sound of his name. "That'd be me." he answered warily.

The man nodded. "Commodore wants to talk to you."

"Right." things were happening awfully fast and not according to expectation. "Mind if I bring my second?"

"Zoe Alleyne? By all means."

Now it was Zoe's turn to blink, she shot an uncertain glance at Mal who gave her a microscopic shrug in return.

"It's Washburn now." Wash said pointedly.

Man looked at him expressionlessly. "My husband." Zoe explained, a little too quickly. As off balance and nervy as Mal himself.

"This way." was all the man had to say.

"Stay here. Don't do anything stupid." Mal prison-yard mumbled to the rest, then followed with Zoe.

"We supposed to just stand here waiting?" Jayne demanded.

"That's what the man said." said Shepard.

"If they're Browncoats they're bound to be friendly to the Captain and Zoe," Kaylee said hopefully, then uncertainly; "aren't they?"

"Sounded like they were expecting him." Margot observed.

"They were." said River, eyes slightly unfocused. "They want him - Zoe too - not the rest of us."

"That's real encouraging." Jayne muttered.

"Captain'll take care of us." Kaylee said with conviction.

Jayne snorted.

Shepard Book eyed the goings on beyond in the hanger, watchful and wary.

Simon watched too, edgy and scared.

Inara sat down on a crate, folding her hands in her lap, prepared to wait. River folded down to sit cross-legged at her feet.

Kaylee wandered over to the hatch control, started stroking it as if for comfort.

Margot went back to her horses.

Wash stood in the hatchway staring after his wife, a worried look creasing his face.

And Jayne prowled around, muttering to himself and working his fists.

Nobody did anything stupid.

Mal and Zoe found themselves walking through spit-and-polish corridors not unlike those of an Alliance cruiser 'cept for the brown uniforms everywhere. Independent insignia showed on jackets and walls, Mal knew he should feel right at home - so why didn't he? looked at Zoe, she wasn't easy either. What was wrong here?

They came to a big office with a heavy-set, white haired man sitting behind a big desk looking at a screen. He glanced up and clicked it off as they entered. Mal and Zoe stood stiffly in front of him while their escort fanned out to stand easy on either side of the door.

The Commodore gave each of them a considering once over, then smiled in a wintry sort of way. "Malcolm Reynolds, formerly sergeant first class 57th Overlanders. A man of some ability according to your record, would have gone higher except for 'displine' issues."

"Never did learn not to talk back." Mal said, guarded.

"But with a rare knack for inspiring loyalty," the Commodore glanced at Zoe, "and a gift for strategy that was little short of genius." he smiled some more. "You've developed into quite a ship-handler too. If it's any comfort your tactic would have worked, Captain, we wouldn't have bothered to go back for a minor freighter if we hadn't been so interested in you."

"Me?"

The old man nodded. "You're one of us, Reynolds, one of the ones who didn't surrender. You and your corporal here. Time you got back into the fight."

Mal didn't like the glitter in the man's eyes, t'was too close to madness for comfort. "War's over, sir. We lost."

The Commodore shook his head. "Wrong, sergeant. The bastard politicos caved, betrayed us. You know, they left you to rot in Serenity Valley while they made deals to cover their asses."

Mal swallowed an old anger. It was Zoe who answered. "Yes, sir, they did."

"This combat group did not surrender, and over the years we've been joined by others like yourself, Reynolds. Our war goes on." Mal opened his mouth and the Commodore held up a hand. "Yes, sergeant, I know what you're going to say. No we can't win," his smile turned ugly, "but we can hurt the enemy and go on hurting him until we die. Don't tell me that doesn't appeal to you, Reynolds."

Mal took a deep breath. "It does a bit." he said cautiously. "We've been living on the raggedy edge these last years, haven't we, Zoe?"

"Yes, sir we have." she answered obediently, getting the message.

The Commodor thumbed a control, looking sane again. "Let's see. You have a pilot - Corporal Alleyne's husband I see - and a damn good one too."

"Thank you, sir." said Zoe.

He nodded graciously and continued: "A Kaywinnit Lee Frye as mechanic...she doesn't seem to have any kind of accreditation - "

"Natural talent, sir." Mal said quickly. "Couldn't keep Serenity in the air without her."

"Mmm...and what exactly does this Jayne Cobb do?"

"Muscle, sir." that was Zoe. "Comes in handy from time to time."

"I see." the Commodore clicked off the screen. "Welcome to the Diehard fleet, Captain Reynolds, Officer Alleyne. You may return to your boat and await orders."

Mal drew on old memories and snapped a salute, Zoe following suit. "Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!"

"Show the Captain to the hanger, Saidi." said the Commodore eyes back on his screen.

A Browncoat stepped forward from the row flanking the door. "This way, sir."

A fivesome of Browncoats came marching purposefully across the hangar towards Serenity.

"I think we're about to have company." said Shepard.

Simon swallowed nervously and moved back close to his sister. Inara stood up, Jayne stopped pacing and Margot came out from her horses.

The soldier boys marched aboard and one, in officer's pips, gave them an indifferent once over then glanced at a palm padd. "Washburn, Frye, Cobb."

"Yeah?" said Jayne warily.

He nodded. "Over there."

Jayne wasn't one for taking orders - 'specially from strangers - but this crew was armed. Besides Mal'd said to do nothing 'stupid' and for once Jayne was in full agreement with his judgment. He took a hold of Kaylee with one big hand, and Wash with another and moved them with him off to the side.

Indifference turned to cold distaste as the officer turned his attention to the passengers. "Shepard Derrial Book; Registered Companion Inara Serra; Dr. Margot Reyer -" his eye hit Simon. "Who's this?"

Simon opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"Our medic." Jayne said from his place across the hold. "The girl's his sister."

The officer glanced back at his padd. "Not on the manifest."

Jayne shrugged. "Yeah, well, Cap'n isn't much for paper work."

Officer's eyes narrowed. "Center folk?"

Simon managed to scrape up some words. "We're from Osiris, if that's what you mean."

The man sneered. "And loyal citizens of the Alliance no doubt." he made some entries. "Right. We've got use for a Medic - and maybe a Shepard. As for the women." he looked them over. "The Companion should bring a good price, the girl too, the old one isn't worth selling, put her in the brothel."

Margot swelled with indignation. "I beg your pardon!"

Book put a quick hand on her arm. "Quiet, woman."

Soldiers stepped forward, cutting Inara from the group. River clung to her brother in fright.

"You can't do this," Simon babbled, "she's just a kid, she's sick -"

"Looks okay to me." the officer said, indifferent as ever. "Get over with the Shepard and the old woman."

If looks could kill the young man would have dropped dead at that moment, but Margot managed to restrain her tongue - barely.

"Don't leave me, Simon!" River cried, clinging and beginning to panic.

"I won't, I won't." Simon promised, every bit as frantic. "Don't you understand, she's my sister -" and one of the guards clubbed him to the deck with the butt of his rifle.

River screamed. So did Kaylee; "Simon!"

Jayne blocked her forward charge with an outflung arm. "Nothing we can do, lil' girl."

"But -"

Wash put a pair of comforting hands on her shoulders. "Jayne's right, honeychile." blinked. "Did I just say that?"

"Cap'n said to do nothing stupid." Jayne finished grimly but his gaze resting on the soldier boys wasn't friendly at all.

Inara gathered in the sobbing River as a pair of 'em started herding her and the girl out the hatch. "Shhhh...it's all right...I'll take care of you sweetheart."

Shepard and Margot bent over Simon. He stared glassily up at them, stunned but not out.

"Can you walk, son?"

"Better, I'm not carrying him." Margot muttered. "Not worth selling!"

"Margot, please!" Shepard helped Simon sit up. "That's right son, on your feet."

"River..."

"Inara is with her. She'll be all right."

"For the moment." said Margot.


	6. Prisoners At Large

Mal wasn't fairly up the ramp before Kaylee was throwing herself at him, distraught and babbling. "Cap'n you gotta do something! These Browncoats hurt Simon and then they took our passengers all away. And now there's a whole lot of them tearing my engine room apart!"

Looking over her head Mal saw Jayne hanging over a full set of cannon, all but crooning. "Look 'a here at what they gave us, Mal! Ain't they beauties?"

Mal put an arm around Kaylee, "Hush now, little girl, let me get the facts on this." turned to Saidi standing quietly behind him: "Care to explain, soldier?"

"SOP, sir." the man replied matter-of-factly. "Your mechanicals are being checked over. Techs'll be coming to install your weapons as soon as there's some free."

"And my passengers?"

"Alliance personnel are processed for disposal." the man said chillingly. "If they can be of use to us they're set to work. If they're worth something they're sold on the man-market. The worthless and useless are spaced."

"Spaced!"

Wash interrupted hastily. "They had use for Shepard, the Doc and Margot -"

"They're going to sell Inara and River!" said Kaylee. "And they beat Simon!"

Mal cut both off. "I see. Thank you, soldier, you're dismissed."

Saidi saluted and walked away.

Mal blew out a breath. "Gorram convenient having rank."

"Sir," said Zoe, "I didn't sign up to fight for pirates and slavers."

"Me neither, me neither." Mal turned to Wash. "Any idea where the others were taken?"

The pilot unwrapped an arm from around his wife and pointed. "Down that passage is all I can tell you."

"Right, get on the cortex and find the specs for this kind of ship; I need the locations of holding cells and living quarters."

Kaylee brightened right up. "I knew you'd fix things."

Zoe said: "Sir, maybe you could try talking to the Commodore?"

"Don't think that's a particularly good idea, Zoe. Long as he and his Browncoats think we're going along we got freedom of the ship, but give 'em the idea we're not altogether fond of their way of doing things no telling what might happen."

Shepard, Simon and Margot marched down a broad, low ceilinged corridor lined with big, intimidating looking metal doors, one soldier boy leading, another bringing up the rear. Some ways ahead they could see Inara and River, intertwined, being herded by another pair of Browncoats.

Head aching, heart wrung with misery Simon looked longingly at his sister's distant form. 'River...oh God River...I tried so hard to save you and now look what I've gotten you into...'

The soldier boys ahead opened one of the doors and shoved the two girls in then marched off. Simon glued his eyes to the door trapping his little sister until a bend in the corridor hid it from him.

Suddenly Margot started talking. "Not worth selling! Let me tell you, boy I'm worth ten of any (skinny, frightened virgin girl)!"

"Shaddup." said a bored voice.

"I don't take orders from (pirate-boys with mother's milk still wetting their lips)!" she snapped back. "And stop poking me with that thing!"

Alarmed Simon looked back. Margot'd come to a full stop and turned to glare at the rearguard, the muzzle of his gun just inches from her throat. Bored but starting to get annoyed he poked it forward and she brushed it aside with one hand while jabbing two fingers of the other upward under his chin.

The man choked and doubled. At the same moment there was a sharp crack from behind. Whirling Simon saw Shepard Book carefully lowering the limp form of the other Browncoat to the ground. The muffled retort of a gun spun him back in time to see Margot straightening up from her soldier - pistol in hand, and blood welling from a hole in the back of his skull.

Simon stared in frozen horror as Shepard passed him in two big strides to unhand the gun from her. "I'll have no unnecessary killing!" he snapped.

Margot glared up with not a trace of guilt. "I don't call eliminating possible pursuit unnecessary!" glanced past him. "What are you going to do with yours? put a pillow under his head and leave him to sound the alarm at his leisure?"

"No." Shepard answered briefly. "Give me a hand here, son." Still dazed Simon helped him cuff and gag the unconscious Browncoat and fold him into a handy maintenance locker, shoving Margot's dead man into another.

She stood there, watching, tapping a foot. "May I have the gun back?" she asked when all was finished. "Or is shooting anybody who surprises us 'unnecessary' too?"

Silently Shepard handed the weapon over. Turning Margot flounced back up the corridor - muttering to herself in a language Simon didn't recognize - the two men following.

Mal stepped into the engine room to find it full to the vents with Browncoat techs. He cleared his throat - they glanced aside then snapped to attention. One saluted.

Tech-sergeant first class Joss Dao, sir!"

Mal remembered to return the salute. "At ease. My mechanic tells me you pushed her out of her engine room?"

"Sir. The young lady was interfering with our work. Our orders -"

"Have been explained to me. Ms. Frye here just didn't understand. And you may not understand that she's made a lot of modifications. Before you start fixing stuff make sure it's not the way we want it."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

Soldier-boy bit might be convenient but it was beginning to wear on Mal. He'd accustomed himself to Zoe 'siring' him but spit and polish just wasn't his style. "Good. Just so we all understand each other." he gave Kaylee a gentle shove. "Right, Mechanic, show the sergeant what's what round here."

Shepard, Margot and Simon retraced their steps back to Inara and River's holding cell. The two older folk checked ahead and behind while Simon keyed the lock.

"I wouldn't do that, son -" Book was beginning as Simon, not listening, charged in - and a dainty bejeweled slipper at the end of a long shapely leg caught him right in the solar plexus.

"Simon!' Inara gasped.

"Simon!" a tear stained River cried, wrapping her arms round her doubled over brother.

"I'm so sorry!" Inara led him to a thinly padded shelf bunk.

Shepard and Margot came in, the latter keying the door shut behind them.

"This just isn't your day, is it, son?" Book said sympathetically.

"Nice move." Margot told Inara. Then to Simon: "Companions aren't as dainty and helpless as we like to look."

"So I see." he wheezed.

Margot glanced at Shepard. "Way I see it we've got two problems; getting back aboard Serenity in plain sight of any pirates that care to look; and after that getting our boat clear of this behemoth. Any ideas, Derrial?"

"I suggest we leave that last to Captain Reynolds." he answered. "As for the first," he crooked his mouth and arched a brow, "plenty of brown coats to be had."

Leaving Simon and River in the safety of the cell the rest went forth to find themselves some soldier boys. The search took a bit longer than expected.

"Why is it you can never find any minions of evil when you want them?" Margot wondered, sotto-voce.

Book's mouth crooked again. "Murphy's law as applied to covert ops.

Inara gave them both an interested look but asked no questions. Companions being trained in discretion as well as martial - and other - arts. Still, no rule against thinking and it was becoming pretty plain Shepard and Margot had not met in any convent!

The sound of marching feet ahead sent all three scuttling to the cover of a pair of recessed doorways. A troop of six Browncoats hove into view, unarmed and burdened with parts, toolboxes and the like. Shepard and the women exchanged looks across the passage. Wasn't like to get much better than this!

"That's a few too many possibilities to suit me." Mal said, hanging over Wash's shoulder and eyeing the green spots splashed liberally over the schematic on his screen.

"Sorry, what you see is what they got."

"Maybe we could narrow down the possibilities by asking." said Zoe. Both men turned to look at her and she continued; "Captain might pretend an interest in buying Inara say."

"And somebody else could ask for a session with the Shepard." Mal said taking a hold of the idea. "Good thinking, Zoe."

"That Whore Serra is a might fine piece of woman flesh," Mal said to the Supply & Logistics officer escorting him, Zoe and Jayne down the corridor, "worth every penny of what you're asking."

"We thought so." she answered a little smugly. "There's an art to pricing folk you know."

"I can imagine." said Zoe, very dryly indeed.

"Don't forget I'm putting up half the cash." put in Jayne.

"One more sin to confess to the Shepard." Mal jabbed.

"That's my business an' his, not yore'n" Jayne shot right back.

The S&L officer keyed one of the innumerable doors. It slid open on a cell that was plainly very empty.

"Uh, we've been outbid?" Mal ventured.

But the woman was already talking into her transmitter: "Control, we have an escape, holding pen -"

Zoe twisted an arm around the officer's windpipe and took the transmitter from her. "Uh, correction, Control, we had two prisoners playing games. Everything's okay here."

"Acknowledged. Don't be so quick to report next time."

"Yessir. Out." the Browncoat who'd been silently gasping through this subsided into unconsciousness. Zoe let her drop.

"They got out all by themselves?" Jayne wondered.

"Look's like. Gorram ungrateful of them." Mal answered, then to Zoe; "They'll be making for Serenity, let's get back there."


	7. Escape

"Oh dear." said Margot.

Peering over her shoulder at a hangar floor seemingly busier then ever Simon silently concurred.

Their little party, huddled in the cover of a corridor opening, were not the most convincing of Browncoats. Oh the work helmets and long coats covered a multitude of sins but Margot and River's flapped near their ankles rather than above the knee and there was a real possibility of one of the women walking out of their oversized boots despite the stuffing.

"People see what they expect to see." said Shepard, looking cool and calm.

"I know. But I'd feel better if I wasn't the only one armed and willing to shoot!" Margot snapped. "How I wish Django were here!"

"Me too." Book shot back. "Only man I ever met capable of keeping you quiet!"

That made her grin.

"Pretend." said River, to Simon. "Remember how we used to play Alliance against Independents? We did things just like this all the time."

Simon smiled, almost unwillingly. "It isn't quite the same, River."

She tugged his hand impatiently. "Yes it is. Exactly the same! Pretend!"

"She's right." said Shepard. "If you want to fool others, fool yourself first."

"Stanislavsky." said Margot. Which made no sense at all.

"Shall we get on with it?" Inara suggested. "I don't know about the rest of you but the waiting isn't settling my nerves!"

"Right." Shepard agreed. "Tech squad forward, quick march. Look like you know where you're going."

"We do." said River.

Wash hung nervously around the big cargo hatch waiting for Zoe and the others to get back, hopefully with Inara, River and the rest. Instead he saw an oddly assorted troop of Browncoats, tall and short, approaching weighted down with tool boxes and the like.

"Great, just what we need more soldier boys!" he said to himself, advancing to the bottom of the ramp to meet them.

The leader saluted smartly. "Technical squad reporting for duty, sir!"

Wash pulled his jaw back up where it belonged by an act of sheer will. It was Shepard Book; and behind him were Simon, River, Inara and Margot!

"Uh, good. Great! Come right in - I mean permission to board!"

"That's my line." Shepard said quietly as they trooped up the ramp. "You say; 'Permission granted."

"Whatever. How'd you get away?" Wash demanded as they formed a huddle in the cargo bay.

"By a judicious use of violence." said Margot.

"And injudicious." said Shepard. "Where's Mal?"

"Off rescuing you, along with Zoe and Jayne. And we've got a bevy of Browncoats making Kaylee crazy in the engine room."

"Maybe we should take care of them?" Margot inquired of Book.

He shook his head. "No. We do nothing until Mal gets back. I suggest the lot of us hide in passenger country 'til then."

"Whatever you say, Shepard." Wash agreed with some fervor.

This time it was Wash who met them on the ramp but it was Mal who did the talking. "They got out on their own somehow, but getting them to the boat ain't going to be easy surrounded as we are. Get Kaylee, we're going to have to troll the passages round here looking for them -"

"They're here." Wash interrupted.

" - once't we find them - " Mal broke off with a stare. "Here?"

"In passenger country."

Mal walked into Margot's bunk to find his strays all assembled: Shepard Book and Inara waiting patient, Simon twitching, and River and Margot poring over a old fashioned bound book giggling like mad-things.

"How about this one -" River wheezed riffling the pages "('Dead stone became life pregnant earth and blossomed like the pawlonia flower')"

"Oh the man surely did have a way with metaphors." Margot burbled. "I think ('Like manure, rich scented with the potential for life') is my absolute favorite."

"'Scuse me." Mal said across a renewed burst of giggles. All looked to him, River and Margot making an effort to sober themselves. "Glad to see you all back and safe but we've still got to get ourselves out of here."

"We were hoping you'd have some ideas on that point." said Book.

"Well as it happens I do... but we've got ourselves some Browncoats to get rid of first -"

"Captain! Captain Reynolds." It was Kaylee's voice calling from the cargo bay.

"'Scuse me again." Mal went.

His mechanic was standing, looking pink and annoyed, with the tech crew looking not one wit happier behind her. "They're finished." she said flatly.

Dao opened his mouth, maybe to object, but Mal didn't give him the chance. "Good. Fine. Thank you, sergeant, dismissed." The man shut his mouth, saluted and departed with his minions Mal heaved a sigh of relief. "(Luck is finally looking kind upon us)" he said, waved his crew in closer. "Gather round people, here's what I want you to do -"

The downshift to night-watch was well underway when the old Firefly turned heads in the emptying hanger by suddenly lurching into the air and moving rapidly towards the big doors just beginning to close for the sleep cycle. But before anybody could reach for a transmitter big, sizzling blue bolts of laser fire issued from her open cargo hatch blasting holes in the neatly lined up guns-boats and sending personnel running for cover. Lights flashed red and klaxons added to the panic.

Mal, Zoe, Jayne and Margot crouched behind the un-mounted cannons, propped up on old cargo boxes, and continued to powder the hanger blowing up gun-boats and blasting holes in walls.

Up front Wash, face intent, turned Serenity sideways to squeeze her through the closing hangar doors. Inara sat in the co-pilot's seat, phone in hand, as the bridge passed through the retaining field she said: "Mal, entering vacuum now!"

Back in the hold Mal shouted, "Cease fire!" and Shepard Book hit the lock control. The doors slid shut as the ramp slowly began to close.

In the engine room Kaylee waited tensely, hand hovering over a big red switch. Inara's voice came over the transmitter; "We're clear. fire her up, Kaylee." and the mechanic's hand came down hard.

Serenity's back-side lit up - just like her insect namesake - the engine wash scorching the just closed hangar doors, melting plate and reducing circuitry to useless sludge. Then she shot away into the cloud, looping around the nearest rocks, before cutting engines to float gentle as a leaf into a comfy hollow on a big asteroid and nestling there.

For a long moment the crew just sat in the sudden dark, listening to their hearts pound. Then, slowly, people started moving. Simon came out of the passenger lounge, trailed by River hugging Wu's 'Triumph of the Terraformers' to her chest. "We made it?"

Mal nodded, beginning to relax. "We did."

"Still don't understand why we're not making a run for it." Jayne grumbled, lovingly shutting down his cannon.

"Because they'll be looking for us far away not close in." said River and smiled admiringly at Mal. "You're clever."

Jayne snorted. Zoe pursed her lips and gave her captain a mischievous look. "He's got his moments."

Mal grinned back at her. "And you right on hand to keep my head from swelling." turned serious. "We lie doggo here until they move on."

"What if they don't?" Simon worried.

"They will." the captain answered flatly. "Like your little sister said, they'll be expecting us to run fast and far as we can. When they don't find us right off the Commodore will move base along our last trace and search on. Meanwhile we sit quiet, catch up on our sleep, and wait patient-like."

Mal took his own advice, turning in and dropping right off to dreamland the minute head hit pillow. It was nigh on eight hours before he woke, dressed and made his way through the emergency half-light to the dining area. Jayne was sitting at the table with Margot and River, a big book open between them, and Zoe doing something or other in the kitchen.

"Just because your woman's eye is wandering doesn't mean the rest of her is going anywhere." Jayne was saying stubbornly. "Most like she won't unless you get all stupid."

"The root of it was Othello didn't feel worthy of Desdemona." said River, looking interested and normal.

"I get that." Jayne answered her. "But given she'd just defied her daddy and all to go with him the man ought to have known she wouldn't just turn around and do him dirty with some pretty boy. When a woman's fought that hard for a man it takes her some time to admit a mistake - if'n it is one."

"Absolutely right." Margot agreed with some amusement. "You understand us women well, Jayne."

He shrugged a little, trying not to look pleased. "Known enough of you. " then turned as serious as Mal'd ever seen him. "I get Othello feels all unworthy, I get he trusts that bastard Iago, what I don't get is why he doesn't just ask his woman if her feet are getting itchy and straighten the whole thing out."

"Wouldn't have been a play if he'd done that." River pointed out.

"My guess is he was too afraid of the answer." said Margot.

Jayne shook his head. "Well it's not like I haven't seen real live men do all kinds of stupid over some skirt."

"Me too." said Margot. "Some things don't change."

Mal slid over to join Zoe. "Am I losing my mind or am I hearing Jayne talking classic literature?"

"I'm hearing it too, and I don't mind saying it's messing with my head." she muttered back, pouring him a mug of coffee. "Believe it or not it seems our merc is a bit of a Shakespeare enthusiast."

"Just seems to me men in those days were a might quick to think the worst of their womenfolk." Jayne was saying. "Look at that Claudio in 'Much Ado About Nothing'".

"Oh he is so stupid!" said River, getting real animated. "And Hero's not one bit better. I like Benedict."

A broad grin spread over Jayne's face. "And what about that Beatrice? I like a woman with a mouth on her: 'Is it possible Disdain should die while she hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence.'"

River grinned back. "'Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted; and I would I could find it in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for truly, I love none.'"

Jayne came right back with: 'A dear happiness to women: they would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor -"

Mal and Zoe looked at each other with big, incredulous eyes. Jayne quoting Shakespeare - from memory!?

"- I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humor for that -"

Mal muttered, "I'm getting outta here." and made a break for the door.

"Don't leave me, sir!" Zoe grabbed the coffee-pot and followed as Jayne concluded:

"'- I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.'"

All was blessedly quiet and normal in the bridge, 'cept for it being darksome and the frowny look on Wash's face. He pointed up and out at darting spots of brightness. "Must have gotten those doors of theirs open, they're buzzing round out there like angry wasps."

Mal took a drink of his coffee, calmly eyeing the distant gun-boats as they wove about. "I estimate they'll keep it up for another twenty-four or so before moving along."

"If they find us -" Wash began.

"Won't." Zoe settled herself in his lap. "Not in the shadow of this nice rock humming with high-grade ores you found for us, Honey-pie."

Mal nodded. "We're going to be fine Wash, (we got our luck back with us)."

Notes: ( ) indicated a Chinese phrase.

Jayne is reciting Beatrice's lines and River Benedick's.


	8. Lying Doggo

Margot left Jayne and River spouting Shakespeare's snappiest dialogue at each other and went down the steps to the passenger lounge and hence to the infirmary. Simon was inside, trying to scope his own skull - without much success.

"Need some help?" Margot asked from the doorway.

He jumped a little then produced a false smile. "Yes I do. These instruments weren't made for self examination."

She came all the way in and took the scope from him. "Pity our Doctor was our only casualty. Put your head in here and hold still." she pressed the necessary controls, recorded the readings, then let him sit up for a look. "Worried about concussion?"

"Not really, but it's best to be sure." he answered studying the numbers.

"You've already acertained Inara didn't rupture anything?"

That got a genuine if rueful grin. "It just felt like she did."

"I trust you'll be more careful about barging into rooms in the future." Margot answered, then added. "You're worrying about the man I shot."

Simon flushed, then straightened up and looked at her steady. "Yes. Cold blooded murder bothers me."

Margot didn't turn a hair, she sat down to talk it out. "Not murder, self protection, and not cold blooded either - I get real heated when pushed around." she smiled a little. "I understand, Simon, I used to be soft and sentimental too - until it near got me killed a few times. After that I learned better."

"You're saying I'm going to have to learn better too."

Her eyes met his, bluish gray and sad. "If you want to survive out here, yes."

He turned away. "I don't know if I can do that."

"Even if it's the only way to keep your sister safe?" she probed softly.

"I'm a doctor - " he said with real pain. "My business is saving lives not taking them."

"Your business is protecting River, and yourself." Margot answered. "Killing in self-defense isn't murder - and it isn't wrong either. There are a lot of predators out here, Simon, you can't afford to give them benefit of a doubt. River's life is too important - and so is yours."

"When you put it like that..." he hesitated a moment then resumed. "I did take up arms once, Captain Reynolds was in trouble and they needed all hands to rescue him. Shepard Book says I didn't hit anybody - but I tried to, I meant to."

"It's difficult I know," she said gently, "especially at first. And God knows I'd never want you to get indifferent to killing, just hard enough to do it when you have to."

"Like you 'had' to kill that guard?" he asked with doubt in his voice.

But she nodded. "I really did, Simon. We couldn't afford having the alarm sounded. You know it's better than likely that man you and Derrial packed into the locker smothered before anybody found him. Derrial knows it too but feels the better for having given the fellow a chance. Me, I believe killing clean is more humane in the long run than half measures. But I'm not a man of God - nor a doctor of medicine either."

Kaylee checked over her inventory one more time then saved. "Funny thing, we did better outta being captured by pirates then some of the jobs we've done."

Shepard Book smiled his appreciation the irony as he fastened down a crate-lid. "We surely can find a use for the parts, and foodstuffs, and fuel - and it's good to get shuttle two back - but I don't know about the weapons." he glanced back at the four cannon lying in a tidy row on the deck.

Kaylee's look was also dubious. "It's not just a question of mounting, we'd have to redo half Serenity's wiring to hook them in to helm control. Still, could come in handy."

"And make us an object of suspicion." said Shepard. "We might be better off selling them for what we can get - a pretty penny probably."

"Break Jayne's poor lil' heart." Kaylee giggled. "You see the love light shining in his eyes?"

"Well, maybe the Captain will let him keep one as a pet." Shepard smiled.

Kaylee squinted up at the catwalk to shuttle one. Inara had her tea-spoiled rugs and cushions spread out all along it and was going from one to another with a hand lamp, checking and rubbing in a little more gray powder if it seemed called for. "How are your pretties coming, Inara?"

"I think they'll be all right." she answered, still intent on her work. "this stain remover you mixed up for me is working beautifully."

"Thought it would." Kaylee said cheerfully. "My Mama used to swear by it. Not that we had many pretties but she took right good care of those we did and that wasn't always easy with four big, clumsy men-oxes spilling and breaking stuff." she warmed to her theme. "I remember once Kurt got lube oil all over my one and only go-to-dancing dress. I just about cried my eyes out, but Mama said she'd fix it nice as new and she did. And then she took Kurt out back of the shed and wupped him good for bringing greasy work into the house."

Inara lightly descended the stair to hand the little jar back to Kaylee. "Let's see, Kurt was your younger brother, right?"

"Mm-hm. Kash was the older and there was Cousin Shad, Cousin Sadie, Mama, Daddy and me."

Inara smiled warmly at her friend. "Sounds like such a strange way to grow up to me, surrounded by boys and machinery."

"Weren't no boys at your training house?"

"Only a few, and we girls didn't have much to do with them." Inara's eyes unfocused. "It was a very structured upbringing, very disciplined. I loved every minute of it but sometimes I wonder if I missed something important growing up that way."

Kaylee looked dubious. "Sounds like a fairytale to me, nothing but pretty things and fancy ways...like a princess."

"I was a princess." they all looked up to see River standing on the landing above them. "Daddy called me his princess. Mother let me dress up in her tiara and diamonds for my eighth birthday party. I had a blue dress, real silk and sewn all over with little crystals and pearls." slowly she sank down to sit on a step, arms hugged around her. "I had two ponies, Snow White and Rose Red, I named them after the girls in a fairy story. Every month Daddy would let me pick out ten new books from the cortex catalogues. I was going to be a prima ballerina - or a physicist...I never decided which." tears were welling up in her eyes and dripping down her cheeks. "My room was all pink and yellow and I had my very own study right next door." suddenly she lurched to her feet, clutching the rail. "I want to go home. Simon! Simon!"

Her brother burst out of the passenger section, looked frantically around, saw her and ran up the steps to her.

River flung herself into his arms. "Take me home, Simon. Take me home! I want Mother, I want Daddy. Daddy! Mother!"

Simon held his sobbing sister helplessly, not knowing what to say. The group below, now including Margot, looked up at them just as heart torn and helpless.

"You can't go home little girl." It was Mal, from the top of the stair. River turned a tearstained face to watch as he descended the steps to her. "You can't go home, sweetheart, none of us can. That's how we all come to be on this boat, because we have nowhere else to be. Serenity is home now - for as long as you want it. That's a promise."

"Serenity." River whispered. "Serenity." the tears stopped and a little color leaked back into her face. "That's a beautiful name."

Mal nodded. "Yes, it surely is."

Slowly River turned her brother loose, reached out a hand to stroke the railing next to her. "Serenity. Home." then she looked down and smiled those staring up at her. "Hi everybody. Want to play jacks, Kaylee? I'll let you win."

"Let me!" Kaylee shot back, quickly rearranging her face into mock anger. "You come down here and I'll make you eat those words, River Tam!"

River skipped down the steps, fishing jacks and ball out of a pocket of her skirt.

Shepard Book took the manifest padd out of Kaylee's hand and headed for passenger country.

Margot turned to Inara. "Taking over the catwalks are you?"

"No just borrowing them for a bit. Here, help me get my things back into my shuttle." they started up the steps together.

Simon turned to Mal. "Thank you."

The Captain looked down at the two girls, now settled on the deck jacks glittering between them, with brooding eyes. "There're times I feel like screaming for my Ma too."

Inara gave him a smile as she and Margot reached the landing. "Just when I think I've got you figured out, you surprise me again."

Mal shrugged off his broodiness with visible determination. "That's me, surprising."

"Very much so." said Margot, which got her a sharp look as she and Inara turned to climb to the shuttle. Mal frowned after them for a beat, then went back up to crew quarters.

Simon went down, gave his sister a cautious assessing look as he passed. She was giggling triumphantly, scooping up a handful of jacks. Kaylee shot him a quick reassuring smile before returning her attention to the game.

"Hey, hold on there. My turn now."

Simon turned away. Book was waiting for him in the passenger lounge. "You okay, son?"

"I guess so." he sat down shakily. "But to hear her call for Mother and Dad after the way they failed her - failed us -"

"Try to forgive them, son, for you own sake. It was fear, not malice that closed their eyes."

Simon leaned back, shutting his own. "I think you're right. We had a good childhood. They gave us everything, including love, but they never understood River. And maybe they never understood me either."

"It's a terrible enlightenment, the day you realize your father and mother are mere human flesh."

Simon opened his eyes, producing a shaky smile. "Yes, yes it certainly is. Is that from the Bible?"

Shepard smiled. "No, it's from a philosophical fiction. But a true saying for all that."

Note: Shepard's words are paraphrased from a chapter heading in Frank Herbert's novel 'Dune': 'There is no more terrible instant of enlightenment then the one in which you discover your father is a man - with human flesh.'


	9. Girl Talk And Talk About Girls

"Well lookee at that."

Jayne, Shepard, Simon and Mal all glanced up from their cards and followed Wash's gaze to the dome ports. What looked like a wall of metal plate was gliding by, shutting out the stars. The big ship was shifting base - right on schedule.

And just in time too. Mal threw in his miserable excuse for a hand and got to his feet. "Get to the bridge, Wash. And somebody tell Kaylee its time to go back to work."

"I'll do it." Simon said quickly. He'd been itching to check on his sister for the last couple of hours.

The female half of Serenity's crew was all together in Inara's shuttle, picking over her pretties and talking about the kind of things women do.

"Not that I'm against dressing up from time to time," Zoe was saying as she fingered the amber silk of a fur trimmed robe, "but Wash seems to like me fine in leathers." grinned. "Plays to his 'warrior woman' fantasies."

Margot laughed, trying a plumed aigrette against her gray hair. "You got yourself a good man there, Zoe, I hope you value him as he deserves."

"Oh I do, I do. Was lucky to find him."

Kaylee carefully replaced a ruby necklace in its nest of velvet. "Funny thing, when I first came aboard I didn't think you liked him much."

"I didn't." Zoe answered surprisingly. "He stirred me up inside in a real disturbing way."

River looked up from admiring the rings adorning every finger. "I thought love was supposed to feel good?"

Zoe shook her head ruefully. "Not when you've got your life all ordered, and the man isn't at all what you thought you needed and wanted."

Inara turned abruptly away, hiding her face, and started pulling out the drawers of a teak chest in a random kind of way. Margot noticed but Kaylee and River were more interested in what Zoe was saying.

"Falling in love can be downright upsetting. And complicated too, you remember how the Captain acted."

Kaylee laughed. "I surely do! Thought he was jealous at first."

"Captain loves Zoe, but not romantically." said River, eyes still on her rings.

"Yeah, I figured that out in the end." Kaylee looked curiously at her shipmate. "Always thought it was kind of funny though. You and the Captain having been through so much together, and him being a man and you a woman, I'd have thought there'd be something between you."

"There is." said Zoe. "Quite a lot; trust, comradeship, a kind of love." she shrugged. "But not sex. I admit I had a stray thought or two back at the beginning but things just didn't develop that way."

"It happens like that sometimes." Margot agreed.

"Guess it does." Kaylee said, in a tone of discovery. "Look at me; Jayne's not at all bad - 'specially when he's new bathed - and Captain's downright beautiful but having either of them would be like sexing one of my brothers."

"Jayne's not handsome." said River, she was putting the rings back in their boxes now, head bent, thick brown hair falling around her face.

"Not like the Captain or your brother." Kaylee said judiciously. "But he's got a rugged sort of good looks, and a great body if muscles turn you on."

"Mean." said River, head bending even lower, face invisible behind her fall of hair.

"Yeah, but he's got his soft spots." Kaylee answered. "He's been right sweet to me a time or two when I really appreciated it - even if he does normally make life a burden."

"No real harm in Jayne." Zoe agreed, smiling almost indulgently. "You got to watch him, but he has his uses and can be downright entertaining at times."

Inara laughed suddenly, turning back to join the group. "Are we actually talking nice about Jayne Cobb?"

Zoe and Kaylee joined in the laughter. River didn't, and Margot noticed that too. There was a knock on the hatch.

"Come in." Inara called and Simon appeared around a tapestry.

"The ship's leaving." he said, eyes going straight to River. "Captain wants Kaylee in the engine room."

The mechanic got up, smoothing the folds of her pink and gold sari, an expectant eye on him. "Be right there."

Simon didn't even spare her a glance, his attention all on his sister. Hurt then anger came into Kaylee's face. When it became clear he wasn't going to pay her any notice she turned abruptly and disappeared behind the dressing screen.

River gave her brother a downright unfriendly look. "You're just too stupid to live!" she pushed her way past him and out of the shuttle. After a startled moment he hurried after.

The three older women exchanged looks, pretending not to hear the muffled sniffling floating over the screen. There are all kinds of clueless, but Simon Tam was in a class by himself.

Simon caught up with his sister on the landing, catching her by the arm and stopping her mid-flounce. "River, River, what's wrong?"

She turned on him in a fury. "What's wrong is my only brother is stupid-blind! Didn't see how pretty Kaylee looked. Didn't even notice my new dress though looking straight at me!"

"New dress?" Simon repeated blankly, looked down. Sure enough his sister was wearing a lovely brown and gold lace he'd never seen on her before. "Inara gave you that?"

"Kaylee's is even prettier, not that she'll ever wear it for you after ignoring her like that!"

Simon shot a guilty look upward just in time to see Kaylee emerge from the shuttle in her usual jeans and t-shirt and head up the steps to the engine room, not glancing down once. "Uh...I've done it again?"

"M-hm!" River pulled free and continued down the stair, disappearing into the passenger lounge. Simon stayed where he was looking after Kaylee, guilt written all over his face.

Margot and Zoe came out next. The first officer glanced down, shook her head and went through the same hatch as Kaylee. But Margot descended the steps to give him a resigned if sympathetic smile.

"Simon, your people skills are distinctly wanting."

"I'm aware of that." he answered miserably. "Mother and Dad -" he stopped a moment, surprised to realize he was saying those names without bitterness for the first time in nearly three years. "Mother and Dad used to worry over our socialization. Neither River nor I ever had any friends. Other kids...other kids were boring."

"You mean it was easier to play with each other than make an effort to connect with outsiders."

"Guess I do." his shoulders drooped.

Suddenly all the lights came on and the grill of the landing vibrated beneath them. Margot took his arm. "We'd better sit down, bound to take some maneuvering to get clear of this cloud.

Simon let her lead him to the passenger lounge couch. There was no sign of River, probably shut in her room being mad at him. He heard himself say: "Can you believe I've never been with a woman? Never even gone out on a date?"

"Actually - yes." Margot answered dryly.

"You heard River before, she's good at so many things she couldn't decide on a profession. But me, I always wanted to be a doctor. My parents did everything to help and encourage me but it was my dream not theirs. I just whizzed through Medacad and internship, all I wanted to do was study and work. Girls - I barely even noticed them -"

"Until now." said Margot

He turned an agonized face to her. "Now, just when I've got nothing to offer but trouble, I finally meet a girl I can't get out of my head!"

"Given that she's on this boat I kind of doubt Kaylee's afraid of trouble."

Simon shook his head. "Not like ours. We got people after us, people willing to kill. I can't - I won't - drag her into that."

Margot tilted her head sideways. "Haven't you already just by being on Serenity?"

"We're not staying." Simon said firmly. "I'm keeping my eyes open, sooner or later I'll find a place where we can settle, someplace far enough out to be free of Alliance control but advanced enough to have the medications River needs. And that's another good reason for not starting anything with Kaylee."

"Mmmm...have you discussed any of this with her?"

Simon stared at Margot like she'd lost her mind. "No!"

"Maybe you should." she suggested mildly.

Dinner that night was a bit of a celebration - for all it was just the usual protein and cellulose spiced up with a few condiments. Mal read over the manifest with considerable satisfaction.

"Well this has been a profitable little adventure. Saved you some money too, Margot, won't have to refuel on Muir now."

Shepard Book put down his spoon. "What about all the others who don't get away? Those people got to be stopped, Mal."

Some of the Captain's pleasure in their gettaway oozed out of him. "Yeah, well I can't say I like piracy either, Shepard, but I don't see how we can stop 'em."

"We could wave the Armstrong." Book said quietly.

Mal's eyes all but popped out of his head. "You serious? No. No, absolutely not."

Zoe cleared her throat. "Sir -"

He stared at her disbelieving. "You 'bout to say you're for turning our own people in to the Alliance?"

"They're not your people, Captain, not any more." Margot put in.

"Don't know about you, sir, but I don't like them shaming our name and cause." Zoe said, snapping her mouth shut on it.

"No." he said again, but not as loud.

"Mal, they're slavers. You hate slavers." Inara reminded him gently.

"Could be a reward." Jayne mused, warming to the idea.

"Might be." Margot agreed, a little absently, attention still on Mal's twisted, indecisive face.

"Mal?" Shepard Book prodded softly.

The Captain surged to his feet throwing down his napkin. "Go ahead and wave 'em if you want - but we won't be sticking round to watch." he stomped out.

Margot looked at Book. "Want me to talk to them, Derrial?

"No." he answered quietly. "Best I do it." He left too by another door.

Jayne looked after him interestedly. "Yeah, the Shepard's got some kind of in with the purple bellies." to Zoe and Kaylee: "Remember the Magellen?"

"Shut up, Jayne." said Kaylee staring at her plate to avoid meeting Simon's eye.

"Watch your mouth, lil' girl -"

"We agreed we wouldn't press the Shepard about that." said Zoe.

"Who's pressing? I'm just remembering is all."

"Well stop remembering and eat your supper." she answered sharply.

Everybody dug in, but any trace of celebration was long gone.


	10. Making Up And Moving On

Zoe stepped onto the bridge. Mal, sitting in the pilot chair, didn't take his eyes from the Black but he knew who it was just the same.

"It done?"

"Yes, sir." she sat herself down in the co-pilot chair. "Right thing to do. Independence wasn't about killing and selling folk just because they come from the wrong planet."

He looked at her. "You telling me you don't feel funny 'bout siding with the Alliance on anything?"

"Way I see, sir, we didn't side with 'em, just used 'em to eliminate a problem."

Mal mulled that over, relaxed a little. "There's that. We got enough folk after us as is - don't need any more."

"Yes, sir." she said, with feeling.

Margot came into the living area to find Wash slumped in his seat at the table. "Don't mean to interrupt your sulk, just came for some water." she reached down a glass and filled it at the tap. "Not sleepy?"

"Don't like an empty bed." he said, adding almost against his will. "Zoe's with Mal - again."

Margot brought her glass to the table and sat down opposite. "There's no sex in that relationship, Wash, you must know that."

"I know." He straightened himself up to give her a look of pained confusion. "If he was sexing her I'd have a right to be jealous."

"But he isn't - and you're jealous anyway."

He nodded miserably. "Doesn't make sense."

"Sure it does." Margot took a sip of her water. "It's not easy sharing your woman - nor man either for that matter - some can't do it at all."

Wash was groping his way through emotions he didn't much like thinking about - even less feeling. "They got history. They got a tie that's nothing to do with me and Zoe, I know that, but sometimes I feel second best."

"You're not." Margot said with conviction. "Anybody with eyes can see how she treasures you."

He brightened. "They can."

Margot gave him a look. "Of course they can. She and the Captain are partners, comrades in arms, you're the light of her life."

He sat up straight. "Think so?"

"Don't be stupid, you know it's so!" Margot told him crisply. "If I were you I'd be in your bunk waiting with candles and soft music or whatever the two of you use, she's going want some cheering after dealing with the Captain's moods."

"Yeah. Yeah that's a good idea." Wash was whistling to himself and starting to unbutton his shirt as he headed for his quarters.

Margot smiled, shook her head gently at the follies of men in love, picked up her water and went down the steps to her own room.

The next morning found Simon, a look of grim determination on his face, cluttering up the forward passage waiting for Kaylee.

Her door opened and she climbed out of her bunk, stopping one foot still on the ladder at the sight of him.

"I want to apologize." he said quickly, before she had a chance to either retreat or brush by.

"Apologize?" she repeated, a wary look on her face.

He nodded strongly. "It was rude of me to ignore you the way I did yesterday. I was worried about River after that little outburst she had the day before and it made me forget my manners."

The wariness and tension went out of Kaylee. "You worry too much, Simon, everybody gets homesick sometimes. You shouldn't fuss over River so, it annoys her. Would annoy anybody."

He grimaced ruefully. "I know. You should have heard her bawling me out, couldn't have done a better job yourself."

She grinned, her usual impudent sparkle back. "Bet I could. I know some language a well brought up Core girl like her never dreamed of."

Simon smiled back, relieved. "And had two brothers to practice it on."

"Not to mention a pair of cousins." she said and stepped close to him. "Where I come from when a boy hurts a girls feelings he gives her a kiss to make it up."

The smile slid off Simon's face and he gulped. But he wasn't about to offend Kaylee again, not when she'd just forgiven him, and what could a little kiss hurt? He pursed his lips and put his hands on her shoulders leaning forward -

- And she wrapped her arms around his waist pulling his body tightly against hers and moving her soft lips against his.

His hands slipped down her back to more questionable territory, his mouth opened in response to hers, the blood singing in his ears.

And then Jayne's rough, grumpy morning voice broke the spell. "Hey, don't block the passage. You got a bunk for that."

Simon pulled back, shaking all over. Kaylee glared over her shoulder at the mercenary. "Plenty of room for you to get by." she snapped, then turned a smile on Simon that did nothing to calm his throbbing pulse. "You're forgiven." let go and proceeded the two men to breakfast.

Jayne was stuck with clean up that morning, and if that wasn't bad enough crazy girl didn't leave with the others but stayed at the table drawing designs with a finger. He decided to ignore her.

"It was mean of you to turn us in."

Jayne jumped a little and spun to face her, sudsy hands ready for anything. "Yeah, well I had my reasons."

"You did it for the money." she said flatly, brown eyes fixed on him.

For some reason that riled him. "I did it 'cause you cut me!"

The eyes blinked, the voice went small. "I did?"

"Sure did, right here in this very room!" he frowned at her. "Don't ya remember?"

"No." suddenly tears were welling up and rolling down those round little cheeks. "But I believe you. I know I do things, crazy thing..." she sobbed.

"Aw hell." Jayne looked about, grabbed a towel and came around the counter to give it to her. "Don't do that. I hate when women cry."

River sniffed, mopped her face with the towel trying to stem the tears. "I live in a fog. Some days it's thin and the light shines through and I feel almost real again. Others its all dense and gray and I'm like a ghost not touching, not hearing. And sometimes it's black and red and filled with rage." She wiped her nose. "I hate being crazy!"

"Yeah," Jayne'd hate feeling like that himself. "But you're getting better." he offered. "Look at yesterday, we had a regular conversation. Hour or more at least and not a crazy word outta you."

She produced a watery smile. "Yesterday was a good day."

"Yeah, right, and you've been having more and more of those haven't you?" Jayne said quickly to keep the tears from coming back. "Fact is you haven't had a real fit for months now. Okay you gave us a scare with that gun but there's been no screaming or cutting for the longest time."

"That's true." she looked at him with those big drowned eyes. "So you won't turn me in again?"

"Never again." Jayne said, and meant it. "Fact is I felt right bad about it the minute it was done and too late to change."

She gave him a smile like the sun coming out, made him feel all funny inside and gave him courage to ask: "Uh - you couldn't really kill me with your mind could you?"

She laughed. "I just said that to scare you. Thought it served you right."

"Well maybe it did." Jayne conceded. "Only reason I wanted to be rid of you was I thought you was a threat. When you're not cutting me or waving guns around you're a right nice little thing."

She glowed. Gorramit but she was a pretty girl! Dress her up a little and she'd be a match for Inara. "You're nice too." she said. "Sometimes. And you do Shakespeare real good."

Margot came to lunch with a message padd in hand. "Jayne was right about there being a reward."

Jayne brightened. "How much?"

Mal's jaw hardened. "I don't touch blood money."

"I do!" said Jayne. "How much?"

"Depends on how many ways we have to split it." Margot answered. "A little something for the collection plate, Derrial?"

"No." Shepard said flat and short, staring at his plate.

"Zoe," Margot went on, "Wash?"

"No." said Zoe.

"Well -" said Wash.

She looked at him. "No."

He met her eye for a moment, then shrugged. "No."

"Well I'll take a cut." everybody looked at Kaylee, she gave it right back to them. "I deserve to be paid for the way they treated me and the things they said 'bout my girl!"

Margot made a note. "That's two. Simon, River?"

"Uh -" said Simon.

"Yes." said River.

Her brother looked at her. "I don't know -"

"I do. They hurt you and scared me and we can always use money."

"And I was outrageously insulted and grossly inconvenienced." said Margot making a note on her padd. "That makes five. Inara?"

She looked at Mal's thunderous face, considered and said: "No thanks."

"Right." Margot did some calculations. "After taxes that'll come to between six and seven thousand apiece."

Wash's eyes widened. "Uh, maybe we should rethink this, Lambytoes -"

"No." said Zoe.

"But - "

"No."

Wash sighed in resignation. "No."

"When do we get the money?" Jayne wanted to know.

"I'll have my partner do the paperwork and wave the credit codes to us." Margot answered.

Mal was still looking pretty darksome, stabbing at his protein mush like it was a mortal foe.

Wash cleared his throat. "Uh, I'm gonna need a heading, Captain."

"Muir." he answered shortly. "We're still going to Muir. Got some things to market there."


End file.
